The Government of Australia and WHO partner to support the Sri Lankan Government in their fight against COVID-19. On March 20, 2020 the Government of Australia officially provided WHO with a contribution for the implementation of COVID-19 Preparedness and Response activities. The contribution will be used towards the following identified activities, which the Ministry of Health will implement with WHO support:
- Surveillance, rapid-response and case investigation
- Case Management
- National Laboratories
The overall goal of the response strategy is to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by interrupting the transmission of the virus from one person to another using a comprehensive blended approach of containment and mitigation. Specific objectives include:
- Limiting human-to-human transmission, including reducing secondary infections among close contacts and health care workers, preventing transmission amplification events and preventing further international spread.
- Identifying, isolating and caring for patients early, including providing optimized care for infected patients.
- Communicating critical risk and event information to all communities to counter misinformation.
As of 19 March 2020, the number of cases of COVID-19 globally has exceeded 209,000, with 8,778 deaths. As of 19 March 2020, Sri Lanka has confirmed 66 cases in total.
Sri Lanka, using global WHO guidance documents, implemented a Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan. The country is rising up to the challenge to prevent, detect, and respond to COVID-19. Containment of COVID-19 is feasible and remains the top priority in Sri Lanka. With early, containment measures, countries can slow or stop transmission and save lives. Partnerships of this nature provide the Government of Sri Lanka with the necessary tools and resources to fight COVID-19 effectively and efficiently.
